Bug Brewing – Dedicated Equipment

What is too long? I just finished rinsing a better bottle that's been soaking in PBW for a week, and not for the first time. How did the PBW ruin it?

 

I've only brewed one sour, so take this from whence it comes.
I primaried in my regular ale pale - it was regular ale yeast. I then transferred to glass carboy and pitched the bugs.
When I went to bottle, instead of my regular bottling bucket, I used another carboy. I did use my regular racking cane and bottling want - they are both hard plastic, so I didn't worry about that - I just rinsed them out extra well and sanitized afterwards, and haven't had any issues since. I also used one of my tubes, rinsed and sanitized also afterwards, but that one I haven't used with regular beers since - I will use that pre-boil, but not post.

 

Perhaps too hot? I've seen people using water too hot for the plastics.

PBW is also a caustic wash.. What that does for the plastic, I can't comment as I haven't done it, and know enough about the PET plastic resins to comment.

 

I just dumped and rinsed 2 Better Bottles that had Oxi in them for almost 3 weeks. No issues.

 

Many breweries share hose and other smaller items and even tanks and bottling lines between clean and sour beers. In most cases they tend to be things that are sanitized by running hot water through them to pasteurize. Every brewer has their own tolerance for risk though, some have three sets for Clean, Brett, and Sour.

I've started handing down my old clean gear to my sours. It allows me to keep using plastic passed the point I'd normally throw it away, so it really doesn't add much cost.

 

Are these breweries doing "clean" beers like Jester King or truly clean? I guess it goes with the notion (that I take to heart as well) that Brett is just a yeast who's growth is controlled like any other yeast. But mixing lines with bacteria seems odd to me and fraught with problems. Regardless, I don't think commercial brewery sanitation practices are applicable to homebreweries. Put me down in the low tolerance for risk category.

The real question is what you've documented in your book regarding sanitation, as that'll likely become a homebrewing standard after its publication.

 

Know any breweries that use steam to clean & pasteurize?

 

There are breweries that use steam to clean barrels (like 3 Fonteinen), but not hoses as far as I know. No reason it couldn't work with the right setup, but hot water is easier and safer to work with (especially when you have a dedicated hot liquor tank or on-demand hot water heater).